Food & Culinary Articles

Food

Chocolate
is appreciated for a variety of reasons. Many of these reasons relate
to the feel good chemicals contained in chocolate, such as tryptophan,
tyrosine, theobromine and caffeine. However, the preferred chocolate is
the dark type which has the highest concentration of cocoa, is high in
antioxidants and is low in fat.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of eating a few pieces of chocolate:

Mood

Eating
a small bar of chocolate as well as sticking to a healthy diet has the
potential to boost the mood. It is a combination of the chocolate’s
texture, smell and taste that helps to stimulate the brain and leave you
feeling good. Additionally, chocolate is rich in the essential amino
acid tryptophan, which can help to increase the amount of serotonin in
the system. This is a natural type of anti-depressant.

Heart-friendly

Chocolate
can help with heart health because it has an anti-inflammatory effect,
thins the blood to minimize the risk of suffering a stroke and can lower
blood pressure. The main reason to benefit the heart is because of the
flavonoid content. This chemical is useful in encouraging the production
of nitric oxide, which relaxes and widens the blood vessels

Artery help

A
further benefit of the flavonoid content is the ability to stop the
oxidizing of bad cholesterol (LDL). Over time this can lead to a build
up of deposits on the artery wall, which is often referred to as
occlusive disease. Also, the flavonoid content can include stearic acid,
which is a unique type of saturated fat that can promote good
cholesterol (HDL).

Soothes coughs

The theobromine content in
chocolate can have an influence on the vagus nerve and help to suppress
the episodes of coughing. The vagus nerve has the role of transmitting
messages between the brain and the central nervous system.

Brain health

A
further type of chemical compound found in chocolate is epicatechin,
which is useful for its ability to protect the brain from the build up
of amyloid plaques or sticky proteins. If they are left to develop over
time there is the risk of Alzheimer’s disease developing. Additionally,
this same chemical compound can be found in green tea.

Overall, in
order to benefit from the chocolate eaten, you want to look for the
dark chocolate that has a high concentration of cocoa. Ideally, you want
chocolate with 70 percent cocoa to achieve the most benefit. Also, the
high cocoa means there is more flavonoid content to benefit the
all-round health.

So
white chocolate isn’t actually chocolate as it mainly consists of milk.
rather than cocoa solids. Often it contains palm oil or other ‘fillers’
and lots of sweeteners. Cocoa butter gives white chocolate its creamy
texture and colour.

So who first produced this white bar? It seems
that it was Nestle. The company began producing the new bars
commercially in Switzerland in 1936. The story goes that it was
originally made in order to use up the excess milk powder that had been
made during the First World War. At the end of the war, it was no longer
in demand, so making the new white bars was one way of using up the
surplus. This also uses up the cocoa butter that is extracted from the
cacao bean when cocoa powder is produced. Cocoa butter is not only used
in making white chocolate, but it can also be found in cosmetics and
pharmaceuticals.

The cost of cocoa butter increased dramatically
between 2005 and 2015, which led to many chocolate manufacturers using
less of it and adding fillers such as vegetable oil to their chocolate.

Manufacturers
of these white bars of our favorite confectionary are experimenting
with new flavours. These include flavouring it with turmeric and
pomegranate, mango, chilli and lime, rosemary and sea salt, and even
Thai curry shrimp. Now white chocolate can be made with non-dairy milk
as well as goat’s milk. You can also get a superior chocolate which has
lemon oil and lemon salt in it. One German manufacturer puts kale and
mustard in his, as well as combining it with broccoli and Sicilian
almonds. Other producers add roasted blueberries, strawberries, and
raspberries. This kind of white confectionary lends itself to
enhancement. You can even buy bars that are flavoured with black sesame
seeds, vanilla, and matcha, but this is grey rather than white in
colour. Other combinations include za’atar (a spice blend from the
Middle East) candied orange and pistachios.

If your chocolate bar
is very bright white, it has been bleached, (cocoa butter is yellow, not
white) and most likely deodorized. Read the label before you buy. You
are recommended to buy bars of the stuff which contain just cocoa
butter, sugar, milk powder or milk solids and perhaps vanilla and
lecithin.

An
organic yogurt company recently had a TV commercial highlighting 2
competitors and their not so wholesome ingredients. Now, if you’ve
followed me, you’ll know random chemicals shouldn’t be in your food.
Yet, the competitors are stating that it’s perfectly OK.

On of the
ingredients, potassium sorbate, was confirmed by the CEO to kill
bacteria and yeasts. They purposefully add it to destroy bacteria.

Wait,
hold on… You eat the yogurt for the probiotic bacteria, right? So,
why would you eat a yogurt that has a chemical designed to kill
bacteria? It doesn’t make sense, until you realize that the company is
more interested in money than providing a quality product.

The
other has a chemical sweetener that was downgraded to ‘use with caution’
recently. Enough science made it through the bureaucracy to force the
government to recognize it as something potentially unsafe. Why would
you eat something that is needs to be eaten with caution? It’s directly
saying that this poison is OK as long as you don’t eat too much of it.

You
need to make healthy choices. One of those healthy choices is to avoid
any food product with chemicals, colors, sugars, and things you just
don’t know what they are.

Let’s face it, these things may make life easier now, but they will make life harder later on.

There
are better alternatives. One is to make your own yogurt. It’s actually
really easy. First, you need whole milk (not low fat or all you get is
runny mush) and a good, organic yogurt starter. For me, I buy a starter
from one of the several companies that put quality ahead of high CEO
salaries.

As a side note, I purchased a starter pack with 6
different kinds of yogurt for less than $20. It will produce about 30
gallons of yogurt, maybe more if I carefully keep tending the base to
produce new flavors.

Then, you add the yogurt starter to the milk,
keep it warm, and wait. In a day, you have lots of healthy, delicious
yogurt. You can add any flavor you want: berries, jams, maple syrup
(odd, I know, but I know several people who do this), nuts, seeds,
granola, and the list goes on.

You can make as little as a quart
to several gallons at a time. Me, I make 1 gallon at a time and it lasts
about a week for 3 people.

The best part is I don’t have to worry
about chemicals, residues (I use organic milk), or unwanted things.
When it is finished, with the yogurt starter, milk, and additions, I
make 1 cup of yogurt for about $0.25. For me, it’s worth it. How much is
your health worth to you?

Okay
many of us think we know all there is to know when it comes to
chillies. “Small red-colored coloured peppers which are spicy”. Well
essentially this might be true, however, chillies are a lot more than
just spicy red-colored peppers. I wish to go much deeper which will help
you realize precisely what chilli stands for and where it originates
from.

Exactly how should we spell it? Chilli or chilli. The
solution will stun you. The word can be spelt both ways. Typically it is
dependent on which location or country you’re from. Individuals in the
United kingdom and India use “Chill”, whereas in the United states
people would prefer to use “Chili” in their punctuation. For that
reason, you need to choose the which way of spelling you’d like to
utilize in your writing. Personally I am inclined to write the “Chilli”
variation.

Since a lot of us can accept the spelling now. Why
don’t we investigate where chillies are derived from? This once more is
an additional query exceeding merely a single solution. Certain
individuals assume that chillies started in Mexico and go as far back as
7000BC. Although, there is another explanation as to where the chilli
pepper originates. Conversely, some theorise that chillies in truth
weren’t able to have come from Mexico as chilli peppers simply cannot be
obtained in Mexico today (with the exception of traveller sites).

In
my opinion, I feel as though chilli peppers got their start in either
Peru or Bolivia. So if you happen to be extra fascinated I am going to
help you investigate the roots and origins on your own because it is
more fun! Having said that, an excellent place to begin might be by
entering a search for chilli on Google. Truth be told there you will
discover additional information that may connect you with additional
sites as well as areas to find out more and read different accounts.

Alright
considering that we’ve got a bit more knowledge, why don’t we discuss
sizing. No not that size! chilli peppers vary from minuscule to modest.
Enough jokes. In a nutshell, chilli peppers are commonly tiny and the
smaller they are the a lot more hot and spicy they turn out to be.

Colours
which include green, yellow and purple are typically considerably
milder as compared to red and brown versions. Moreover, I would like to
make certain I discuss the most spicy pepper on earth. “Ghost Pepper”
(Bhut Jolokia) is in fact not the most spicy. The actual overwhelming
monster chilli pepper is recognized as the “Carolina Reaper”. Be on the
lookout for these particular unforgiving chillies.

Getting
fiber in our body is very important it helps prevent constipation and
manage our weight. It may also help prevent some diseases like high
cholesterol, diabetes, heart diseases and some cancers.

The
recommended amount of fiber needed a day is 25 to 38 grams. Most people
eat less than 15 grams a day. The institute of medicine recommends men
under 50 to eat 38 grams and women 25 grams. Adults over 50, men 30
grams and women 21 grams of fiber.

There are two types of fibers,
soluble and insoluble and both are helpful to you. Insoluble helps the
intestines and colon function properly, by hydrating and helping waste
move through your intestine, which keeps you regular and less
constipated.

Soluble fiber digest slowly and helps reduce
cholesterol and assists in keeping the blood sugar levels stable. Both
the insoluble and soluble fiber are important and most foods rich in
fiber have both.

If
you are like many people, you groan at the thought of doing meal prep.
While you know it is something you need to do, it does not mean you like
it! Meal prep takes time, but if you look at preparing say your
vegetables just once for the whole week, then you will find it easier to
eat healthy home-cooked meals each evening. Some foods, some vegetables
are easy to prepare ahead of time and save well. There are steps you
can take with your meal planning to make the task easier and then you
will find you spend less time doing the meal prep and more time enjoying
your food!

Let us look at a few meal-prep ideas…

1. One Recipe, Many Variations. Perhaps
the most significant time-consuming task with meal prep is trying to
figure out what to cook in the first place. You have to hunt down
recipes, figure out what will work with your weight loss diet and then
purchase all the groceries required. Time-consuming stuff!

Instead,
look at finding one recipe offering several variations. For instance,
you might make a vegetable stir-fry. You can just alter the vegetables
you put in the stir-fry, swap out the chicken for beef as desired, and
even change the sauce a little. It is the same meal overall, but with
small changes that should be enough to keep you interested in continuing
to carry on with your weight loss diet plan.

The more you become
accustomed to preparing the same type of meals over and over, the easier
it will be to plan your meal prep out for the week.

2. Two Words: Slow Cooker.
Slow cooking is super easy, and a method of cooking everyone should get
into doing from time to time. Just put all the ingredients in the slow
cooker in the morning, turn it on, and by the time you arrive home from
work, the food will be ready to serve. Plus, you can make a
significantly sized batch, which means you will be eating healthy meals
several times during your week.

3. Buy Pre-Chopped Vegetables.
The last idea to consider is buying pre-chopped vegetables. Cutting up
vegetables is often one job people dislike doing the most, so make it
easier for yourself. Buy them ready to go, so there is little to no prep
work involved.

While you will pay a little more for pre-chopped vegetables, it is money well spent.

There
you have a few ideas to think about using to help make meal prep
easier. If you follow these tips, sticking to your weight loss diet will
be easier than ever.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2
diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple
changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood
sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

Imagine
it is between 3 to 4 pm, your child is back from school and the many
extra-curricular activities and is hungry. While you do want to keep
them satiated until dinner, stop and think for a minute before you grab
that conveniently packaged snack off the counter. Do you really want to
give your child a snack of artificial food with additives? Certainly
not!

Would it not be great if you could find some quick and
interesting recipes to make for your kids, while resting assured that
you are giving them something they enjoy eating and yet, nutritious?

The simple solution is – incorporate almonds!

These
nuts are not only a great snack option but are also convenient and
deliver a host of nutrients like vitamin E, riboflavin, fibre, protein
and many others. In other words, almonds are a healthy alternative for a
variety of unwholesome snacks, readily available. In addition, since
these nuts are tasty and crunchy, they can also satisfy your child’s
sensory cravings.

Here are some super yummy yet nutritious recipes that you could try out for your kids:

Badam Custard

Custard
has always been a favourite with the tiny humans. With addition of
almonds, you can add this to the list of wholesome snack recipes for
kids!

Serves 2

Preparation Time: 20mins

Cooking time: 15mins

Ingredients

Almonds (roasted) – 200gms

Milk -500ml

Sugar -100gms

Egg yolk – 6no

Vanilla essence – 3ml

Corn flour – 25gms

Method

Blanch almonds and make a smooth paste, keep aside. Mix egg yolk and corn flour in a bowl, keep aside.

Heat
a non stick pan and drizzle a little oil. Pour a little batter and
spread around thinly. Allow to cook on one side and then gently turn it.
Flash cook on this side and turn immediately.

Now spoon out the stuffing and place in the centre horizontally. Fold the cheela like a dosa or a cigar.

Remove and serve hot.

Nutrient Analysis

Calories

1966

Protein

83.9gms

Total fat

99.5gms

Saturated

3.7gms

Monounsaturated

13.7gms

Polyunsaturated

10.9gms

Carbohydrates

184.2gms

Fibre

6.7gms

Cholesterol

4.2

Sodium

263.4 mg

Calcium

410 mg

Magnesium

462.9 mg

Potassium

2470 mg

Vitamin E

8.6 mg

Toasted Almonds and Tomato Uttapam Pizza

A western twist to a popular south Indian recipe can be all the excitement your kids can ask for, pre or post their play time.

Serves: 1 person

Preparation time: 8 – 10 minutes

Cooking time: 12 – 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Uttapam batter – 75 ml

Almonds cut into half(unpeeled) – 15 g

Tomato deseeded and chopped – 10 g

Chopped onion – 10 g

Chopped ginger – 2 g

Chopped coriander – 2 g

Pizza sauce – 5 g

Parmesan cheese grated – 3 g

Salt – to taste

Refined oil – 5 ml

Method

Pour
the uttapam batter in the centre of a heated non-stick pan. Sprinkle
chopped tomato, onion, ginger and coriander, evenly on top. Turn the
uttapam upside down to cook it from top for about a minute. Then, turn
it back and spread the pizza sauce. Add almond halves and turn it over,
once again.

Then, remove from the pan and sprinkle grated parmesan on it. Cut it into 4 pieces like a pizza. Serve hot.

Nutrient Analysis

Calories

393

Protein

12 g

Total fat

14.7 g

Saturated

1.6 g

Monounsaturated

6.2 g

Polyunsaturated

5.1 g

Carbohydrates

56.5 g

Fibre

0.5 g

Cholesterol

0 mg

Sodium

967 mg

Calcium

76 mg

Magnesium

63 mg

Potassium

252 mg

Vitamin E

3.9 mg

Badam ki Kheer

This
popular desert accompanies most Indian food preparations at home during
festivals. However, since it is prepared so rarely, kids love it so
much more.

Do not hesitate to make your kids happy every now and then by whipping up some kheeron regular days.

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 10mins

Cooking time: 20mins

Ingredients

Desi ghee – 2 tblspn

Almonds – 1 cup

Green cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp

Rice – 3 tblspn

Milk – 1lt

Raisins – 1/2 cup

Sugar – 150 gms

Almond slivers – 1 & 1/2tblspn

Method

Soak
rice for half hour. Soak raisins in water for 15 minutes. Blanch the
almonds, remove skin and grind to a paste adding little water.

Heat
a pan and add desi ghee. Now lightly sauté the almond paste on low heat
for 1 minute. Add milk and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and add
rice. Cook for 15 minutes or till the rice overcooks and thickens the
kheer. Add sugar and raisins. Garnish with almond slivers.

Nutrient Analysis

Calories

3000

Protein

70.6 gms

Total fat

169.4 gms

Saturated

34 gms

Monounsaturated

52.3 gms

Polyunsaturated

16.7 gms

Carbohydrates

298.7 gms

Fiber

3.5 gms

Cholesterol

99 mg

Sodium

173.3 mg

Calcium

1748 mg

Magnesium

778.9 mg

Potassium

2847 mg

Vitamin E

31.9 mg

Almond and Soya Milk Smoothie

A
healthy recipe to serve your kids, anytime of the day, a glass of this
smoothie can give them the goodness of soya milk and almonds which can
provide essential nutrients such protein, calcium and many vitamins and
minerals.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: no cooking time

Ingredients:

Almond Flakes – 100 g

Soya Milk – 750 ml

Honey – 150 g

Whole almonds – 350 g

Banana – 200 g

Method:

In
a mixer jar, take whole almonds without skin add soya milk, honey and
banana in it. Blend it and garnish with roasted almonds flakes.

While
in college studying nutrition, my friend heard from a teacher that it
is easier for a person to change their religion than to change their
eating habits.

But necessity is the mother of invention. When my
dad got sick and was hospitalized for cancer, I started researching to
learn how to protect ourselves and heal from cancer. While watching “A
Delicate Balance,” on Vimeo I heard nutritional researcher T. Colin
Campbell describe the results from the largest study ever done on
nutrition and cancer as detailed in his book, the “The China Study.”

A
friend had given me the book years before but it had been a
deal-breaker since it advocated a vegan diet, which meant giving up all
animal foods including vegetarian food like cheese and eggs. But in the
fight for my dad’s life I was willing to do what it took so I read the
book and couldn’t put it down. My first thought upon finishing it was
“knowledge is power.”

The premise of the book is that animal
protein causes cancer cells to multiply while plant protein causes
cancer cells to shrink. This research is backed by empirical scientific
evidence and published in scholarly journals. It is detailed in Chapter 3
of the book and would be a compelling place to start your own research.
But the research is silenced by lobbyists for the food industry who
don’t want this kind of information available.

After reading the
China Study and realizing how many ailments are caused by the “Standard
American Diet” or SAD, I vowed to go vegan. Turning vegan seemed like an
easy choice to protect my health from the dreaded cancer menace.

Although
a seasoned vegetarian, I lacked skill making tasty vegan food without
cheese and eggs. Committed to the health benefits of a vegan diet, I
enrolled in vegan chef school and trained for three weeks with a master
vegan chef.

Throughout chef school I lived exclusively on vegan
food. The first thing you notice is the amazing energy gained from
eating the fresh wholesome food. Antioxidants color the fruits and
vegetables which fortify our own systems.

When people
inevitability ask where our protein comes from one expert responds, “I
get my protein from the same place your protein gets its protein.” Leafy
greens, grains, nuts, legumes, beans, seeds are some “whole food
plant-based” sources of protein.

And the best thing is that the
food tastes magnificent. Cashew cheese, almond milk and coconut butter
are staples. Toss tofu cubes with nutritional yeast, tamari and olive
oil then bake for savory nuggets. Steam tempeh cubes for 20 minutes –
mix with vegan mayonnaise, garlic, onion, basil and parsley. Place in
pita for a “mock” chicken salad sandwich.

My passion is well-being
and vegan food benefits human health, animal health, and environmental
health. Looking for a place to start? Mark Reinfeld of Vegan Fusion
offers a series of cookbooks on Amazon.

When
one thinks of cooking using a crock pot, he would automatically think
of making meats juicy and tender. But slow cookers aren’t only good for
meats, they’re ideal for all types of ingredients including fresh fruits
and vegetables. So if you’ve recently started a healthy diet, you can
count on your trusty crock pot to make delicious meals!

Here are 3 top vegetable recipes for slow cooker that are a must-try:

Best Ever Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

What you need:

2 1/4 kilograms red potatoes, sliced into chunks

3 cubes chicken bouillon

1 cup sour cream

1 cup cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and boil
potatoes with chicken bouillon and garlic until potatoes are tender but
still firm. Drain potatoes in a bowl, reserving water. Mash potatoes
with sour cream and cream cheese, spooning reserved water to achieve
desired consistency. Transfer mashed potatoes to a slow cooker, cover
and cook for 2 to 3 hours on low. Stir in butter, salt and pepper before
serving.

In a large bowl, toss potatoes in all-purpose flour to
coat. Place coated potatoes, onion, garlic, chicken bouillon granules,
ranch dressing mix, parsley, seasoned salt and black pepper in a crock
pot. Stir to combine ingredients well. Add the water to the mixture.
Cover and cook for 7 to 9 hours on low. When ready, add half and half to
the soup, stir and cook for 15 minutes more. Sprinkle with Cheddar
cheese and garnish with green onion to serve.

From
the basic chuck wagon fare of stews, beans and biscuits, we have come a
long way and expect far more than the old cellophane wrapped sandwich
of the 50s and 60s, along with stale coffee. Ethnic cuisines and made to
order hot foods are now commonplace for harried on-the-run office
workers, and we’re wiling to pay top dollar for the convenience.

In
the 50s, mobile canteens serviced U.S. Army troops on bases and
maneuvers, but they were little more than regulation chow. Americans
have come to expect far more and creative vendors gladly answer the
call. From early ice cream trucks to the hot dog vendors with their
Vienna Beef umbrellas, thousands tumble out of offices, factories and
stores, headed to that truck down the street where they know what
they’ll find and don’t mind standing in line for it. Who needs stale
vending machine foods or fast food burgers when we can get fresh falafel
packed into pita bread, a plate of nachos or an authentic fish and
chips wrapped in newsprint. What has evolved from the “roach coach” of
the past to a venue that launched the career of many executive chefs,
food trucks now even cater at special events, college
campuses,conferences and weddings.

Let’s examine the most popular
and latest offerings from these meals-on-wheels across the country. Most
of these truck operators also have restaurants multiple locations, and
many are culinary school graduate and chefs:

Cinnamon Snail – vegan food for the more health-conscious and non meat-eating crowd, with not a snail in sight (go figure) NYC

Oink and Moo BBQ – award-winning pork and beef BBQ with all the trimmings, NJ

If
you venture into ethnic neighborhoods, such as a big city Chinatown,
obviously you’ll find a preponderance of their native cuisines dotting
the streets, but overall these are the most common menu items across the
country:

In the US, food trucks are a $1.2 billion
industry. Despite the obvious challenges such as lack of hot running
water, strict regulations, licenses and health laws, food trucks serve
an important role in our society and provide a vital service to
thousands of workers everywhere. Although chuck wagons may simply be
nostalgia, the concept lives on. Food trucks. When you just can’t wait
to eat.